The Lais of Marie de France (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Marie de France (Author), Glyn S. Burgess (Translator, Introduction), Keith Busby (Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 1986 | Series: Penguin Classics

Prose translations of the short, narrative poems by the first major woman writer in the western tradition.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

About the Author

Glyn S. Burgess is currently Professor of French and Head of Department at the University of Liverpool. He has translated 'The Song of Roland' for Penguin Classics and he has published widely on 12th-century courtly literature. Keith Busby is George Lynn Cross Research Professor of French and Director of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of Oklahoma. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (September 2, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140444769
• ISBN-13: 978-0140444766
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,133,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The French Renaissance of the 12th Century., May 18, 2006

By 

Jan Dierckx (Belgium, Turnhout) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Lais of Marie de France (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Before the famous Italian Renaissance, you could speak of a French Renaissance in the 12th century as far as literature is concerned.
In Southern France there were the Troubadours, singers and poets, often part of the nobility or their entourage. In the North of France you had Chretien de Troyes and his Arthurian romances and the Lais of Marie de France, to name only two of the most important.
The 'Roman de la Rose' was written in the 13th cent. but is probably the most important masterwork of the French Renaissance.

About the person of Marie de France almost nothing is known for certain.Her 'Lais' - stories about romance or adventure - are based upon the popular and folkloristic tales that already existed for centuries in Bretagne - a region close to where the Atlantic meets the North-Sea.
These stories were handed down from generation to generation by story tellers.
The Lais of Marie de France excel by diversity. There are love stories - of course - but also vivid descriptions of
tournaments and even a story about a werewolf.
Marie de France proofs that medieval literature can be entertaining.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars charming old romances, November 9, 2002

By 

m-starr (Washington D.C. area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lais of Marie de France (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

This is a wonderful collection of old old Breton tales written into poems by Marie de France in the 12th century. Who exactly Marie was is a bit of an enigma, as the introduction to the book explains. But she was unquestionably a gifted writer: her lais, written to entertain courtly audiences, vary colourfully one from another, and positively sparkle with romance, passion, and wit. Mostly they tell of grand loves between courtly young men and comely noble maidens, and there is some great obstacle to overcome. Some endings are happy, others tragic; there is always a great test of the spirit, with notions of loyalty, honesty, honour, and true love playing into the mix. The scenes when lovers get together can be downright ... (in a subtle medieval sort of way). The translation puts the poems into prose, though the language remains poetic. Altogether, you can see why these gems of stories have lasted 800+ years.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Lais of Marie de France, October 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lais of Marie de France (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

The version of The Lais of Marie de France, translated by Glyn Burgess and Keith Busby, is a substantial collection of lays by Marie de France. Though little is known about the writer, Burgess and Busby provide a thorough presentation of the literary evidence relevant to the question of authorship. Furthermore, they discuss the literary history of previous compilations of Marie's lays, laying a broad foundation for even the amateur reader of medieval literature.

The lays in this collection are themselves rich and thematically diverse. Through the literature, Marie makes sharp criticism of medieval gender roles, examines the character and dynamics of Arthur's court, and challenges the modern view of marriage and love. In the story "Lanval," Marie even makes a start towards defining a woman's beauty. To credit of the translators, her stories are both straightforward and accessible to the modern reader. This collection is highly recommended, and well worth the price.